It has been 3 days since I have been reaching VT station at around 7 am. The only time I have that early over there was during the Mumbai Marathons (07 and 08). Actually, I have been there at 5am then. But then, at that time, the entire area is kind of quarantined and there are very little people but those directly involved and yet it is busting with activity.

These past days have been a completely different ball game. It is peaceful. There are still people getting to work. But somehow the hurry is missing. If you know me, you'll know that I'm always running for my bus or my train. Every single day. Today, too, I realised the bus was at the stop and I was walking really fast toward it. Normally I would have made a dash and yet not made it. Today, the bus driver just showed his hand to me and I walked kinda leisurely and actually got into the bus.

I don't know why it just seemed like people looked more relaxed. The moon was in the sky and was not yet over-powered by the harsh bright rays of the sun. The sun was in the sky but it was smiling. Was I relaxed to have perceived it like this? I really doubt since I was going to give my paper. Is it like this everyday morning? Maybe I should really start waking up before noon!

PS. The paper bombed!!! I should pay less attention to the scenic outside and more in the book, I think!

A lot of things are happening in life that I'm not liking and then there are others that I'm totally loving. Some are plain frustrating and some are making me want to dance on the moon. But that is life, I guess!

I have realised sometimes keeping quiet can also work. At least sometimes, when the person in front is so adamant, you just have to shut up and let him think he has won! What to do?

With this rant, I present Wordless weekend, where I will try to post a picture every weekend (which I find something to post about) which will represent the week gone by or something specific I learnt. I don't know. Lets see how that goes.

The first picture here was taken today. I have exams at 7.30 am (yeah, I know) and hence, I leave home by 6 when it is pitch dark. On my way to college, I can see the sun rise and today I tried to capture that. I kept staring at it for quite sometime.

Warning : I'm no photographer and I probably suck at it!

Click on the picture. I swear it looks better like that!!

P.S: For something that was supposed to be wordless, wasn't this wordy??

I was having this conversation about molestation with a real close friend of mine. Now this friend of mine is in a different country (Pakistan), she belongs to a different religion and on the whole is a very different individual but what connects us is tha

t we are women. We feel the same pain as women across the world do. The fact that my education, my upbringing, my personality has nothing to do with the fact that I was molested. That person reduced me to a mere object. An object of his advances. Nothing more and nothing less. It is just a disgusting fact.

And this person could be my brother, my father, my uncle, a person I trust and care about. The fact that tomorrow I can't tell my daughter to trust her father or her brother completely. I can't tell her that her dad will always protect her and she will always be her daddy's little girl is just so disturbing.

My friend rightly asked me, "What do I tell my daughter then?” My simple answer to this is: Trust yourself. You don't like something. OBJECT. This is definitely easier said than done. And when there is so much "secrecy" involved especially with regards to such behaviors, is it a wonder that most mothers just ignore such complaints from their daughters? Or reprimand them for concocting such stuff?

Tell your daughter, your sisters that she has the right to say no. To say anything wants. To say whatever she feels. She has a right to speak. She has a right to do whatever she wants just as much you have a right to that. Tell her she is an individual. Tell her, she can protect herself. She has something that she should protect. Her soul. Her identity. She, herself is a being of equal right.

People who oppress women on the name of religion have no confidence on themselves. Deep in their hearts they know they are wrong. They know that it isn’t the way they are portraying it to be. Do they dare to say what they think about women going to pubs or wearing jeans? No. They don't have the guts (or balls) do that. Rather they say that their religion tells them to do so.

Should we really be concerned about this? This is just another instance of people suffering because "GOD" spoke to one person.

I really wonder what God would be saying right now?

Hope still exists.

Have I ever told you how much I love my brother? Except for the reasons that he is made of the same blood and flesh, he is turning out to be one hell of a man. Yes, my baby brother is now becoming a man. He is "just" 16 yrs old but I am so proud of him. It was just a small incident that triggered of my feelings in this direction.

I was having cold coffee and my servant came in and said, "So you are having coffee too? A (my brother) just finished his."

Me: "Yeah. He made it for me."

(Uhum... Yes. He can and I can't)

Servant: "See the love your brother has."

I just smile and go on typing on the computer.

Servant: "Wait till his wife comes. Then he will make her do all the work."

Me: “I’m sure my brother will make coffee for her just as he does for me."

And yes, I'm absolutely sure of it.

Well, while at it, I remember when I was very down in life and I would end up crying in the night. (Frustration makes me cry) And my brother is not the hugs kinda guy, but on those days, I could feel him sleep nearer to press his back against mine. It just felt so comforting to know that he was near.

When, there are talks about women being treated as inferior or men not respecting women, I can safely say that my brother will not be one of them. I am proud of what and who he is.